FOREIGN tourists have rated public toilets in Malaysia, particularly in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, as average.
According to Sinar Harian, out of 12 foreign tourists, nearly half gave a score of five out of 10.
Many raised issues such as wet and slippery floors, lack of toilet paper and inconsistent cleaning standards in some areas.
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Flavio Sartorelli, 33, a tourist from Italy, said that in his four days in Malaysia, he hadn’t used public toilets due to discomfort.
“I haven’t used public restrooms like those at gas stations or restaurants because the floors are wet and there’s no toilet paper. So far, I’ve only used the restrooms at my accommodation or shopping malls, which are cleaner,“ he was quoted as saying.
He added that this is his first time visiting an Asian country after mostly travelling in Europe.
Malaysia is his first stop before heading to Singapore and Bali, Indonesia.
“It’s a bit awkward because the restrooms in Malaysia are different from Europe, like using water hoses instead of bidets or toilet paper.
“The water hose isn’t a big issue as I can learn to use it, but you always need to carry tissues as not every restroom provides them. The restrooms here are clean, but they could improve with more frequent cleaning because most are wet and slippery,“ he noted.
He also suggested that more signs directing people to public restrooms would help foreign tourists locate them more easily.
Kayo, 30, a tourist from Japan, mentioned that aside from the lack of toilet paper, public toilets in some restaurants could be described as “scary.”
She also expressed discomfort with the wet floors in Malaysian restrooms, compared to Japan where the floors are always dry.
“It might be part of the culture in Malaysia, and we can’t question that, but I’m not used to it because it’s not like that in Japan.
“Japan has the cleanest restrooms, but compared to some other countries I’ve visited, I think the restrooms here are still good and could be improved,“ she said.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Muaadh Alkahtani, 18, a tourist from Yemen who lives in China, said that restrooms in Malaysia are not as clean as those in China.
“In China, restrooms are refurbished every few years for hygiene reasons, otherwise they start to smell. Upgrading restrooms, especially in restaurants and public places like zoos and rest stops, should be a priority,“ he said.
However, he noted that this issue isn’t exclusive to Malaysia. “Some places I’ve visited have worse conditions than Kuala Lumpur, but I hope Malaysia will pay attention to improving its public restrooms.
“On a scale of 10, I’d give Malaysia’s restrooms a five, Arab countries a three, and China an eight,“ he said.
